As much as I love the holidays, I am always relieved when they are over.  George and both my daughters have December birthdays and the month is just too hectic. 

Years ago, most of the Harb family would go to Las Vegas every New Year. It was an easy way to celebrate the birthdays and the New Year.  Not surprisingly it was always packed.  We stopped going about ten years ago, but George and I finished last year with an unexpected trip to Vegas. My oldest daughter turned 21 on the 30th and she joined our group.  As a real estate agent, I am very familiar with the economy but even so, I really expected more of a crowd for New Year’s weekend.



While in Vegas, we left George at the sports book and checked out the new City Center and walked through the hotel, Aria. 



Although the shopping experience at the Forum shops is different, I am surprised that developers decided to build a second (competing) high end shopping district at the City Center.  I did what I always do, I counted shopping bags.  There were plenty of tourists, lookers and gawkers but very few shoppers. We ate lunch at the Center and the restaurants were crowded. There are also luxury condos but I didn’t have time to check them out.  After Glendale’s Americana condos lackluster sales, I  imagine the Center’s selling experience will be even more dismal.



My daughter and I returned home Saturday and on Sunday I drove her back to school, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  From La Canada it is nearly 400 miles round trip and the rain certainly didn’t help.

Now it’s back to work, tomorrow we’ll look at some real estate statistics and see how 2010 ended.